First Weekend of Freedom

What a great weekend - had time to do things I love, in peace and quiet. Yesterday, I finally had the chance to do some lane swimming at the recreational complex. It wasn't bad but I hadn't done lane swimming since grade 5? A very very long time ago. It was a cool night, and the pool wasn't that crowded.

I had even more fun this morning. Got to enjoy my for tui tong (火腿通) for breakfast in Mongkok before I headed out for my search of some climbing gloves. I made my purchase a short time later and made my way to meet up with the group.

The bus brought us to Repulse Bay and it was a rather interesting ride. Got to meet a new friend C. A pretty chill guy - in town working on the Sai Kung wind farm. That's just cool - being part of the team developing some renewable energy resources for Hong Kong even though they can quite aesthetically ugly.

We reached the stream and I quickly swapped into my Vibrams. Didn't risk not bringing my hikers as I didn't know the route. Skipped through rocks and all that fun stuff. The rainy season is just beginning and the first small stream was basically a 101 course for newbies to stream trekking - like myself (: It was fairly easy, not really slippery. So next time, it'll be actually more stream trekking-ish with more H2O. After losing most of the group who returned to Park View first, the rest of us set out to another stream.

The slow flowing stream - Tai Tam

It was like a private pool. Only a short distance from the hiking trail - also out of view of the trail. A large pool of running stream water was available for a swim. Just watch your step when you move up and down to the pool, but once you got there and saw the cool waterfall - you felt good.

The Private Waterfall - Tai Tam

 I also learned today that Vibrams and concrete don't make friends. Kind of weird, since I've been in them around town but they haven't really bothered me. On the actual trails and up and down the streams they worked great. I could feel every rock and leaf I stepped on. Truly feeling one with the earth.

Enjoying my Vibrams in and out of the water

Met really friendly people, C & D - all gung ho about trekking and stuff - well kind of anyway. It was fun to chat with them about the weather, the hike itself and share our hobbies. Met BS (not bullshit), he spoke of how I must be finding it an awfully easy hike and invited me to another event which is like pro people. It's two weeks away, it looks intense, snorkeling, hiking, rock climbing all in one… perhaps I'll see.

Anyway, I'll have a good night sleep today. People still doing exams, please freaking chill out - you guys are 1. overthinking, 2. freaking out way to much, 3. cramming things you wont ever remember - so just screw it for the rest of the night and go to bed.